22-FEB-2012
American crow
A couple of crows in the Backyard Garden today.
22-FEB-2012
Grey squirrel, black phase
A coyly peeking squirrel, sitting against the sumac trunk in the Backyard Garden.
22-FEB-2012
Rabbit scat
Having said that I hadn't seen any rabbits, or signs of rabbits, melting snow revealed this huge pile of rabbit scat!
18-FEB-2012
Luminous light at the garden
Amazing light shines through this glorious photo by Josh.
18-FEB-2012
Black locust seedpod
Even a simple seedpod can look beautiful when photographed with finesse as here in Josh's fine shot.
18-FEB-2012
Globe thistle
Many plants can look equally beautiful, sometimes more so, in winter, as this exquisite photo by Josh shows. Taken in the Backyard Garden.
18-FEB-2012
Bowser and Misty
Josh came across these two very handsome dogs at the garden, almost as beautiful as my own German Shepherd!!
18-FEB-2012
Amphibian pond
As shown here, the ice on the pond is slowly melting, revealing some of the shoreline vegetation, sticks and who knows what else. The mild weather is creating this early thin ice.
18
Hydrangea
Long ago, long before the FWG existed on this site, hydrangeas were planted by the service road. They survive and thrive, year after year. In winter, their dry flower heads make a striking sight, as shown in this lovely photo by Josh.
18-FEB-2012
Grey squirrel, black phase
A very glistening coated squirrel, soaking up some sun, in this fine photo by Josh.
18-FEB-2012
Woodland walk
The signpost for the Woodland Walk section of the Backyard Garden. This is at its best in spring when spring ephemerals emerge.
18-FEB-2012
Northern cardinal, male
This gorgeous cardinal stands out in vivid contrast to the blue sky. Cardinals are beginning to sing a lot more frequently these days, as this unusually mild (for February) weather continues.
10-FEB-2012
Irpex lacteus
This is the crust-like polypore you often see on branches of many types of trees. This is a macro shot showing the details, but in reality, it often looks like a smooth, flat white covering on branches. It has various common names, one of which is milk-white toothed polypore.
10-FEB-2012
Ice crystals by the pond
There was a bit of open water under the bridge over the Amphibian Pond and ice crystals had formed.
10-FEB-2012
Red squirrel with walnut
I've photographed this particular red squirrel many times. He has it made. He has staked a claim to a nest site on this walnut tree, and the tree itself provides him with a large store of food, and as you can see here, he has dug up one of his walnuts and is having a feed.
10-FEB-2012
Red squirrel with plum
This red was sitting at the top of the plum tree. On the ground, were a chipmunk and several robins.
10-FEB-2012
Chipmunk
Another view of the little chipmunk stocking up on fresh fruit!
10-FEB-2012
Winter chipmunk
I was both surprised and not surprised, to see this little guy. Chipmunks are not true hibernators and will emerge on mild days, such as this was, to seek food. It is supposed to get cold again tonight, so no doubt it will be some days yet before he climbs back out of his underground den.
10-FEB-2012
Chipmunk burrowing in snow
Underneath the last plum tree with fruit at the FWG, was this little chipmunk. The weather was mild enough today at +1 celsius, to entice him out for some fresh fruit! I watched him for some time and he seemed quite oblivious to me. He ate some of the fruit, and then stuffed as much as he could into his cheek pouches and set off for his den. He had obviously travelled a distance. I followed him as he ran alongside the trail, through a snow tunnel, out onto the top of the ravine, down the ravine to the bridge, under the bridge where I lost sight of him.
10-FEB-2012
Old Field
That spindly little "twig bundle" halfway along the snowmobile track, is our precious tulip tree. The snowmobile ran right up by the sapling, literally alongside, breaking one branch. I guess it is a miracle that the tree was not entirely crushed. I now have it wreathed in yellow caution tape. The tulip tree is a Carolinian species that is beyond the limits of its range here. Nonetheless, a few are known in the area, including one (there used to be two) in the Arboretum. This one appeared a year ago, not planted by us, probably planted by a squirrel, and that it has survived last winter, and carried on growing through last year, is interesting. I don't want to lose it!
10-FEB-2012
American robin eating wild plums
This was one of several robins I saw today at the FWG. Not the big numbers I noticed a week ago, but they may be more widely dispersed as food diminishes. This tree was popular with the robins, a red squirrel and a chipmunk.
04-FEB-2012
American robin
Diane saw this robin in brilliant sunlight at the FWG, along with 2 Cardinals, 3 Crows, 10 Black-capped Chickadees, 2 Houses Finches, 1 White-breasted Nuthatch, and 6 Mourning Doves.
02-FEB-2012
Nibbles on sumac
Squirrels will frequently nibble on bark as yet another way to find nutrients. In this case, a sumac has been freshly chewed. Sumacs, while often thought of as a nuisance plant, are not only a native species, but do provide food for many birds and animals.
02-FEB-2012
American robin and cedar waxwings
One of the 15 robins in this tree, along with a few of the 35-40 cedar waxwings that were hanging around the FWG for a couple of hours. They were descending on red cedars (junipers) and crabapples.
02-FEB-2012
Black squirrel eating buds
Animals have to be inventive and varied in their eating habits in winter, or they'd starve. Several squirrels were cutting off tiny slender twigs and eating the fat buds which will provide them with a nutritious snack.
02-FEB-2012
Brown creeper
This was taken on a ponderosa pine in the Arboretum. However, even though it was not taken at the FWG and is not a good shot, I post it as a reminder that these elusive little treecreepers are around and to keep an eye out for them, especially in the Ash Woods.
02-FEB-2012
American robin with crabapple
There were at least 15 robins around the FWG today, and this one had plucked a large crabapple from a tree and was having a tough time with it. He must have chased it across the snow half a dozen times, picking bits from it each time. You can see his tracks leading to the right of the image, made when he followed the crabapple across the snow!
